Hypodermic syringe



Jan- 429, 1952 M. LocKHART 2,583,743

' HYPODERMIC SYRINGE Filed 0G11'. 2, 1944 IN VEN T OR.

Patented Jan. 29, 1952 HYPODERMIC SYRINGE Marshall L. Lockhart, Detroit,Mich., assigner of one-half to Margaret L. Lockhart, Detroit,

Mich.

Application October 2, 1944, Serial No. 556,737

Claims.

This invention relates to hypodermic syringes and has particularreference to certain new and useful improvements of the type shown in myprior copending application Serial No. 522,188,

led February 10, 1944 now Patent Number It is an object of the inventionto furnish a hypodermic syringe embodying functionally and structurallyimproved characteristics, the parts of such syringe being capable ofready steriliza tion and manipulation.

A further object is that of furnishing a unit which will embodyrelatively few simple and rugged parts, such parts being capable ofeconomical and quantity manufacture and when assembled efficientlycooperating over long periods of time with freedom from difficulties.

A still further object is that of furnishing a unit of this type inwhich the needle will be capable of ready association with the holder orof being detached therefrom. Accordingly, the needle may be removed withfacility or detached for purposes of sterilization; the needle whenremounted being properly supported against movement with respect to oraccidental detachment from the holder.

With these and other objects in mind, reference is had to the attachedsheet of drawings illustrating one practical embodiment of theinvention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side View;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinally sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 andin the `direction of the arrows as indicated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken along the lines 4 4 and inthe direction of the arrows as indicated in Fig. 3.

In these views, it will be seen that the syringe assembly includes ingeneral a holder 20, a needle 22, and an ampule 24. The holder 20comprises a body formed of metal or other suitable material including atubular part 26 the interiorof which forms a guide and holder 28 inwhich the ampule is received. vand in which it is axially slidable. Theguide 28 is open at its base or inner end so as to permit the insertionof the ampule therein.

Wings 30 project laterally from the tubular part 25 at the rear endthereof so as to provide linger rests and form a means by which theholder may be held by the ngers with the part 26 extending therebetweenand as illustrated in Fig. 1. The tubular part 26 has open sides asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and is bifurcated so as to form a pair offingers or arms 32.

The holder preferably is made of metal having a certain amount of springin it so that the fingers or arms 32 may be displaced relative to eachother in order to insert and mount the needle therein. The opposed faces34 of the ngers 32 are lappropriately curved to form a seat forreceiving the cylindrical shank 36 of the needle, the overall diameterof the shank 36 being slightly greater than the normal clearance betweenthe faces 34 which are circular in cross section as illustrated in Fig.4. Therefore, the arms or lingers 32 will serve to firmly grip theneedle between them.

Rearwardly of the faces 34 the arms 32 are notched as indicated at 38 toform a space for accommodating the head 40 on the shank 36. The head 4Bforms a thrust member which cooperates with the edges of the spaces 38on the arms 32 so as to take the thrust of the needle 22. Accordingly,the needle will not be subject to axial displacement with respect to theholder.

The arms 32 have projecting toward the rear end of the holder thrustmembers 42 which cooperate with the stopper or cork 44 in the ampule fordisplacing the stopper 44 into the ampule as the same is axially movedtoward the needle end of the holder 20. The space between the thrustmembers 42 and the sides of the holder is shaped soas to accommodate andguide the wall of the ampule as it is pushed toward the needle end ofthe holder. These thrust members may be provided with graduations forindicating the percentage of the contents of the ampule which have beendischarged therefrom as the same is moved toward the needle end of theholder.

As will be noted from the drawings, the outer end of the holder isformed with a longitudinally extending slit or slot. This is defined bythe space existing between the ends of the lingers, the notches 38 andthe space between the thrust members 42. Therefore, the needle may beshifted laterally to be associated withA the holder or removed therefromwithout eitherof its ends becoming contaminated.` Moreover, the slotbeing preferably of substantially uniform width (excepting only withrespect to the notches 38) it follows that the cylindricalshank 36 oftheneedle is firmly gripped between the faces 34 while the rear end of theneedle 22 is not engaged by the inner faces of the thrust portions 42between which it extends.

The needle 22 is provided with a passage therethrough and has its outerend 46 pointed so .3S to facilitate the penetration of the needle into 3the skin. The end of the needle which projects rearwardly toward therear or inner end of the holder 2D extends beyond the ends of the thrustmembers 42 so that it may penetrate the cork 44 of an ampule, asillustrated in Fig. 3, when the ampule is axially slid into the holder2B. rlhis inner needle end is also pointed to facilitate penetration.The faces 48 of the thrust members are nat and adapted to form a seatfor the outer face of the stopper 44. Further movement of the ampule 24to the left (Fig. 3) will engage the outer face of the stopper 44 withthe seat 48 and further movement of the ampule 24 toward the needle endof the holder 2D will cause the stopper 44 to slide within the bore ofthe ampule 24 and to function as a piston so as to displace the contentsof the ampule through the needle When the holder is held in the hand asi1- lustrated in Fig. 1, the thumb of the hand may be pressed againstthe outside end of the ampule `for forcing the 'same into the holder.This will cause the inner end of the needle to penetrate the cork 44.Thereafter, the cork will engage the seat 48. Continued movement of theampule will result in the stopper 44 functioning as a piston to expressthe contents of the ampule through the bore of the needle and .dis-

charge such contents through the end 46 thereof.

When the ampule 24 is removed, the needle 22 may be removed from theholder 20 for sterilization or other purposes. This maybe readilyaccomplished by pressing laterally on the shank 36 of the needle whichprojects forwardly of the arms 32 so as to tilt the needle and its shanktransversely of the holder thereby to expedite the removal thereof. Insuch tilting it will be understood that the shank 36 of the needlegripped between the inner faces of the'arms 32 will pivot with respectto these arms. In such pivoting the head 40 may freely swing clear ofthe notches 38. Likewise, the rear end of the needle may move sidewaysfrom within the slot defined between the thrust portions 42.

Thus among others the several objects of the invention as specicallyaforenoted are achieved. Obviously, numerous changes in Aconstructionand rearrangements of the parts might be resorted Vto without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims. I claim:

2. A hypodermic syringe including a body comprising a base, a pair oflegs fixedly connected adjacent their inner ends to said base, said legsextending from said base in spaced relationship to denne anampule-receiving chamber between them and having free outer ends, saidbody being formed of material such that the outer ends yieldingly resistseparation, needle-gripping portions adjacent the outer Vends of saidlegs and disposed beyond the end of said chamber, said portionsproviding between them a needle-gripping structure such that, by flexingsaid legs to separate the gripping portions, a needle may be movedlaterally into position therebetween, said base being formed with anopening in line with the space defined between said legs, means forminga fixed part of said syringe and providing a thrust portion to engagewith the piston-closure 1. A hypodermic syringe including a bodyycomprising a base, a pair of legs xedly connected adjacent their innerendsto said Vbase, said legs extending from said base in spacedrelationship to denne an ampule-receiving chamber between them andhaving free outer ends, said body being formed of material such that Ythe outer ends yieldingly resist separation, needlelegs, and a thrustportion integral with and extending from said'free outer ends towardssaid base and into said chamber, said portion forming a fixed part ofsaid syringe body and being engageable with the piston closure of anampule projected through said base openingand into the chamber'betweensaid legs.

of an ampuleprojected through said base opening and into the receivingchamber, and said holder being formed with spaces intervening the outerfaces of the thrust portion and theinner faces of adjacent portions oisaid body, said spaces slidably receiving an ampule introduced into saidchamber through the base opening, as the ampule is telescopicallydisposed over said thrust portion.

3. A hypodermic syringe including a body comprising a base, a pair oflegs xedly connected adjacent their inner ends to said base, said legsextending from said base in spaced relationship to define anampule-receiving chamber between them and having free outer ends, saidbody being formed of material such that the outer ends yieldingly resistseparation, needle-gripping portions adjacent the outer ends of saidlegs and disposed beyond the end of said chamber, said portionsproviding between them a needle-gripping structure such that, by flexingsaid legs to separate the grippingV portions, a needle may be movedlaterally into position therebetween, said base being formed with anopening in line with the space defined between said legs, and thrustportions extending inwardly of said chamber, towards said base andsecured one to each of said needle-gripping portions, said thrustportions being separated by a slotaligned with said gripd ping portionsand within `which a rearward extension of said needle may be disposed,said thrust portions being engageable with the piston closure of anampule projected through said base opening and into the chamber betweensaid legs.

4. A hypodermic syringe including a body comprising aV base, a pair oflegs xedly connected adjacent their inner ends to said base, said legsextending from said base in spaced relationship to dene anampule-receiving chamber between them and having free outer ends, saidbody being formed of material such `that the outer ends yieldinglyresist separation, needle-grippingportions adjacent the outer ends ofsaid legs and disposed beyond the end of said chamber, said portionsproviding between them a needle-gripping structure Vsuch that, by exingsaid legs to separate the gripping portions, a needle may be movedlaterally into position therebetween,` said base being formed with anopening in line with the space defined between said legs, thrustportions extending inwardly of said chamber towards -said base andsecured one to each of. said Y needle-gripping portions, said thrustportions being separated by a slot aligned with said gripping portionsand within which a rearward extension of said needle may be disposed,said thrust portions being engageable with the piston closure of anampule projected through said base opening and into the chamber betweensaid legs,

and said holder being formed with notches in the face of said slot at apoint to the rear of said gripping portions, said notches accommodatingthe thrust head of a needle having its body disposed in saidslot.

5. A hypodermic syringe including in combination a body comprising abase, a pair of legs xedly connected adjacent their inner ends to saidbase, said legs extending from said base in spaced relationship todeiine an ampule-receiving chamber between them and having free outerends, said body being formed of material such that the outer endsyieldingly resist separation, needle-gripping portions adjacent theouter ends of said legs and disposed beyond the end of said chamber, aneedle assembly, said portions providing between them anassembly-gripping structure such that, by flexing said legs to separatethe gripping portions, the assembly may be moved laterally into positiontherebetween, said base being formed with an opening in line with thespace defined between said legs whereby an ampule may be projectedtherethrough into such chamber, said needle assembly including a body,

a shank to be received between said gripping portions and a rheadadjacent said shank said legs being formed with notches adjacent saidgripping portions for the accommodation of said head to prevent axialmovement of said assembly with respect to said body after it is grippedby said portions.

MARSHALL L. LOCKHART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 937,029 Strong Oct. 12, 19091,008,078 Schroeder Nov. 7, 1911 1,644,657 Hein Oct. 4, 1927 1,817,003Hein Aug. 4, 1931 1,848,711 Hall Mar. 8, 1932 2,016,631 Everett Oct. 8,1935 2,115,731 Lozier et al. May 3, 1938 2,159,217 Lozier et al. May 23,1939 2,238,582 Dickinson et al Apr. 15, 1941 2,313,483 Smith Mar. 9,1943 2,448,898 Lockhart Sept. 7, 1948

